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130 years ago today, the local Technikum (technical college) was founded in Altenburg with teachers from the Mittweida Technical College in the building at Georgenplatz 1 (Keplerplatz). In 1899, it moved to the building at Adelheidstraße 1 (Darwinstraße), known to many as the Technikum building. Until the Technikum's move to Weimar at the beginning of the 1931/32 school year, it is documented that almost 500 Jewish students (research status 2025) from various parts of Europe, Asia, and South America were also taught there. In the 1920s, there was even a Jewish student association, initially called the "Scientific Association of Jewish Students Jordania" and from 1923 onwards operating without the suffix "Jordania." Jewish students were also active in various other associations around the Technikum. Whether in the "Technical and Scientific Association Ernestina" (founded in 1896), in which Stefan Berson (1875-?) was a member, the "Free Association for Art and Science Makaria" (1901-1912), in which Arthur Rajgrodski (1888-1916) participated, the "Russian Reading Society and Reading Room" with numerous Jewish members, the "Music and Singing Society of Altenburg Technicans" (1905-1913) with the "Director of Vocal Music" Elias Schlossberg (1888-1944, murdered), or the "Edison Regular´s Table" (1908-1912) with Leo Axelrad (1892-?) – Jewish engineering students contributed to the association's work. Many of the Jewish students later became recognized engineers in various fields or achieved notable status in other ways.

The first Jewish student, Richard Friedmann, is listed under registration number 44. He was born in 1876 in Rawitsch (Rawicz) and the son of factory owner Louis Friedmann and Bertha née Rosenthal. He had previously attended the Mittweida Technical College. Friedmann, who lived in Berlin, attended engineering courses as a mechanical engineer and electrician. He last lived as a subtenant at Wilhelmstraße 19 (Dostojewskistraße). In the spring of 1898, he completed his engineering training in Altenburg. He later became a factory owner in Berlin, like his father. He owned EBRO AG, the First Berlin Steam Horsehair Spinning Mill, which produced textiles made of horsehair and rubber milk for the automotive industry, among other things. In 1938, he was forced to sell his company. The twice-married engineer and father of two children died in Berlin in 1942, having left the Jewish religious community in 1940.

The following portraits are intended to provide insight into the lives of former Jewish students at the Technikum. A number of other biographies – including those of some notable individuals – would deserve to be honored here. The selected portraits illuminate some of their lives:

Abram "Abrasza" Blum was born in 1905 in Vilnius. His parents were Avigdor Blum and Sheina, née Winograd. Abram Blum came to Altenburg in the summer semester of 1923 to study mechanical engineering at the Technikum. He later continued his engineering studies in Ghent, completing them in 1929, and then presumably moved to Warsaw. There he lived with his wife, Luba née Bielicka (1905-1973). The couple had two children. Abram Blum was a member and one of the leaders of "Tsukunft," the youth organization of the General Jewish Workers' League ("Der Bund"), and was considered a restless and committed official. From 1942, "Der Bund" was part of the Jewish Combat Organization (ŽOB). Abram Blum participated in the armed uprising in the ghetto. Abram Blum managed to escape from the ghetto together with Marek Edelman (1919-2009), but was later arrested by the police. Abram Blum was murdered.

Natan Jakubowicz was born in Sosnowiec in 1905. His parents were Abram Jakubowicz and Malka née Zawader. In April 1923, he began his studies as an electrical engineer at the Altenburg Technikum, graduating with a "good" grade at the end of September 1926. Natan Jakubowicz was chairman of the Altenburg Jewish Student Association at least in 1925 and a delegate to the 5th Conference of Jewish Student Associations in 1926. Apparently, after his time in Altenburg, he moved to Vilnius – possibly with fellow students from Altenburg. He worked there as an electrical engineer. In 1929, he married Marja Wolfzon (1904-?). The Jakubowicz couple were later interned in the Vilnius Ghetto. Natan Jakubowicz is mentioned as a partisan fighter in the Vilejka region (between Minsk and Vilnius). His exact fate is unknown. His wife was presumably a concert pianist. She is said to have been murdered in Lviv.

David Katz (born 1906 in Beresowka) entered the technical college in the summer semester of 1923. He enrolled in the electrical engineering course and graduated successfully on August 25, 1925. David Katz went to Paris and received a job offer. He worked on the assembly of the electrical section of the St. Ouen power plant near Paris. David Katz remained with the company until May 1928 and then returned home. In Kremenets, he became deputy head of the power plant on April 15, 1929, and held this position until January 1, 1938, and again from April 1940 to June 26, 1941. With the withdrawal of the Red Army from the area as a result of the outbreak of the German-Soviet War, David Katz was ordered to accompany the troops. On June 26, 1941, he moved east with the Red Army. Due to his engineering training, he was later ordered to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. David Katz worked for the Red Army for several months on the electrification of military hospitals. Antisemitism was also widespread in the Red Army, and so he took the opportunity to join the so-called Anders Army, Polish forces under Soviet command, which had been relocated to Tashkent. With them, he moved to Iran and later to Iraq. In March 1943, he was ordered to England after volunteering for the British Royal Air Force. David Katz participated in various battles to liberate Europe, including the D-Day landing. He was awarded various medals for his military service. In the early 1950s, he emigrated to Israel and became chief electrical engineer of Kupat Cholim, Israel's largest health insurance company. For 24 years, David Katz worked to build medical infrastructure throughout the country, expanding the network of modern clinics, research facilities, and other medical facilities. According to his daughter, he was one of the highest-ranking leaders of the Israeli health care system. David Katz died in 1974.

Samuel Klabin was born in 1910 in Sao Paulo (Brazil). The son of Salomon Klabin and his wife Luba, née Segall, came to Altenburg in April 1929 to complete an apprenticeship as a papermaker at the Technikum. The Brazilian initially lived in the barracks at Leipziger Straße 57-59, which had been converted into residential premises, and later moved to Oswaldstraße 19 (Heinrich-Heine-Straße). In 1930, the technical student was a member of the gymnastics department of the Altenburg men's sports club. Samuel Klabin probably left Altenburg in late 1930 or early 1931 to gain further knowledge in Finland. in his profession. It can be assumed that he had already returned to his homeland in 1932, as various sources state that Samuel Klabin returned to Brazil at the age of 22 after further professional training in Altenburg and Finland. The Klabin family represents the largest paper manufacturer in Latin America. Samuel Klabin was married twice and probably had at least one son and two daughters. Samuel Klabin died on March 17, 1979, in Sao Paulo.

Ruwien Mankus (Robert Mancus) was born in Grodno in 1898. His parents were David Elyas Mankus and Elka née Gerschewsky. In the winter semester of 1921/22, Ruwien Mankus entered the Altenburg Technikum. He completed his course in mechanical engineering with a "good" grade in August 1924. During his time at the Technikum, Ruwien Mankus served for a time as secretary of the "Scientific Association of Jewish Students Jordania." From his apartment at Gartenstrasse 11a (Dr.-Wilhelm-Külz-Strasse), Ruwien Mankus embarked on a journey to the USA in October 1924. He apparently traveled to Canada shortly thereafter. The engineer returned to the USA in 1926 under the already changed name Robert Mancus. In 1931, he applied for US citizenship, and in 1933, he married Cecile Blacker (1902-1991). In 1957, after divorcing his first wife, he married Bessie Shack (1910-1980). Robert Mancus died in Pound Rich, New York, in 1973.

Baruch (Boris) Perlis was born in 1902 to Jankel and Sura Perlis in Cetatea Alba (Akkerman). In October 1921, Baruch Perlis, who later used the first name Boris, arrived at the Technikum Altenburg and enrolled in a course in the engineering department, specifically in the field of mechanical engineering. He completed the course on March 31, 1922, and began his studies at the Technical University of Darmstadt. After receiving his diploma as an aeronautical and mechanical engineer on November 14, 1927, he entered the Aviation Officers' School in Bucharest, followed by various other aviation schools. Baruch Perlis, who married in Cetatea Alba in 1924 and had a daughter born in 1928, sought a way to leave his native Romania after the outbreak of World War II. The fact that he was trained in English and knew employees of the British Secret Service enabled his family to travel to Cairo in 1940. There, with the support of the British Secret Service, he also obtained a position. He decided to emigrate to Palestine with his family. After eight months in Cairo, the family set out on their journey. Baruch Perlis was a member of the Haganah, the Zionist military organization during the British Mandate for Palestine, and later one of the founders of the Israeli Air Force, serving there as a lieutenant colonel. In 1952, the family moved to Montreal, where Baruch Perlis died on January 22, 1983.

Julii Poleak (Clive Julius Pollack) was born in 1904 in Teraspol. His parents were Ephraim Fedya Poleak (also Poliak) and Chana née Lapidus. In April 1923, Julii Poleak entered the Altenburg Technikum and began studying mechanical engineering. His father was a technician, so Julii was also expected to pursue an engineering degree. During his time in Altenburg, Julii Poleak gained his first experience as a fencer. Fencing would later change his life. After one semester, Julii Poleak left the Technikum and moved to Odessa with his parents. From there, the family emigrated to Canada in 1924. There, Jul Poliak, as he was registered there, intensified his fencing career. For twelve years, Jul Poliak was active as a fencer in Canada and became chairman of the National Fencing Committee. In 1936, he was scheduled to represent the Canadian fencing team at the Olympic Games in Berlin. As a Jew, however, he declined to fence in Nazi Germany. That same year, the family emigrated to Australia. Julii Poleak took the name Julius Clive Pollack. In Australia, Julius C. Pollack worked in the textile industry. But fencing remained his passion. In 1936, he founded a branch of the Australian Amateur Fencing Federation in Victoria and became its president for 16 years. He was vice-president of the British Empire Fencing Federation. In 1956, Julius C. Pollack was elected to the Organizing Committee of the 1956 Olympic Games, where he served as chief fencing organizer and manager and captain of the Australian Olympic fencing team. Numerous other important sporting positions followed. Julius C. Pollack was married to Faye Frieze (1913-1964) and had two sons – Norman and Bruce. Julius Clive Pollack died in Melbourne in 1993.

Isaak Ratner was born in Vilnius in 1903. He was the son of Mendel and Liba Ratner and entered the Altenburg Technikum in the winter semester of 1922/1923 to study electrical engineering. He lived in the house at Moltkestrasse 7 (Heinrich-Zille-Strasse). He left school on March 25, 1925, after receiving his diploma. On April 8, 1925, Isaak Ratner returned to his hometown. Isaak Ratner returned to Altenburg once more, on July 6, 1925. He did not return home until July 20, 1925. In 1926, he went to Paris - presumably also for study purposes. Isaak Ratner was later described not only as an electrical engineer, but also as a chemist, mechanical engineer, and mechanic. In his hometown, at an unknown date, Isaak Ratner married Rachel Wajnsztejn, born in 1904. She gave birth to a daughter, Ruth, in 1936. After the German troops invaded his homeland, Isaak Ratner and his family were sent to the Vilna Ghetto in early September 1941 and were forced to perform forced labor, presumably as a mechanical engineer. It is documented that Isaak Ratner was performing forced labor at the "Heeresfeldzeugpark II, Außenstelle Vilna" on July 30, 1943. In October 1943, Isaak Ratner was sent to the Klooga concentration camp in Estonia. In October 1944, Isaak Ratner was liberated from Klooga by the Red Army. In 1946, Isaak Ratner was documented as living in Italy. He emigrated to Eretz Israel and died in Tel Aviv in 1990.

Srul Roschko was born in 1883 (other sources state 1887) in Kishinev (Chisinau). His parents were the merchant Jankel Roschko and his wife Sura née Gobes. On April 19, 1904, he began his engineering studies. On September 1, 1906, after successfully completing his studies, Srul Roschko left the Technikum and went to Berlin. Apparently, during his time in Altenburg, Srul Roschko had already met Margarete Helbig, born in Altenburg in 1891. The two married in Altenburg in 1912. Margarete Helbig, who lived at Mauerstrasse 5b at the time of their marriage, had converted to Judaism before their marriage. After their marriage, the couple moved to Berlin. Srul Roschko sold electrical goods as an engineer in Berlin. Srul and Margarete Roschko probably emigrated to England in 1939. Srul Roschko died in London on May 10, 1945, and his wife shortly thereafter on November 25, 1945.

Jacob Schapiro was born in Odessa in 1885. His father was Grigori (Gregor) Schapiro; his mother's first name, Tatjana, is known. In 1905, Jacob Schapiro enrolled at the Altenburg Technikum, having previously attended the Mittweida Technikum. His father was living in Leipzig at the time and was an engineer himself. Due to criminal offenses, Jacob Schapiro was expelled from the Altenburg Technikum in 1905. In 1906, he re-enrolled at the Mittweida Technikum. In 1911, Jacob Schapiro married Jeanne (Johanna) Begagon-Aronson (1892-1982) in Odessa. The couple had two children: Gabriele (1918-2008) and Eleonore (1924-2022). In 1914, Jacob Schapiro founded an automobile dealership in Berlin, later several large garages, was a taxi entrepeneur, and over the years rose to become a successful speculator in the automobile industry. In 1929, he married Ida von Moers, née Dembo, in Berlin; he had previously divorced his first wife. In 1938, Jacob Schapiro, who had converted to Christianity, fled first to France and then emigrated to the United States. Jacob Schapiro died in New York City in 1942.